i remember this article- there's always great articles in the Ensign, but only a few really, really stick with you. i distinctly remember this one because Meyer really captures the feelings that we all have gone through, that feeling of always being in a hurry, of getting ahead and forgetting what is important.i had no idea that stephenie meyer was the author of this great article!

I really like inspirational stories too. They always make me tear up. I like that it really puts things in perspective how at first Stephenie describes being smug and then suddenly realizes that feeling that way is wrong since it's at someone else's expense. It's nice to know that there are people out there who do care for others.

It reminds me of a story that my husband told me when we were dating. Before he met me he went on a date with a girl and took her to Burger King for lunch. There was a homeless man outside begging for food. My husband and his date went inside and he quietly asked her if she minded if he bought some food for the man. She said okay. So my husband bought the homeless man a meal and brought it out to him. The man was very grateful and sat down to eat right away; obviously very hungry. A couple days later my husband called the girl to see if she wanted to go out again. She acted funny and told him 'no' because it made her uncomfortable when he bought the food for the homeless man; even though he had asked her first.

When I heard this story it really upset me that someone could be so selfish... but in the end I have to be glad that she turned him down for the second date. He wouldn't have been happy with someone like that and I ended up happily married to one of the most unselfish people I have ever met.

That was a great good feeling article. There are so many other people out there who are less fortunate than us, it makes us take a step back, be grateful and have a greater desire to serve. I'll definitely have to go rummage through my old Ensigns to find this one to read again, to my children..maybe even for FHE.

I cried when I read that article for the first time. Ugh. And I even teared up at the Taco Bell testimony.

It's funny how little things like that can be so impacting. I went to Wal-Mart this last year to buy some last minute Christmas presents. A young girl, maybe a year or two younger than myself, was ringing the bell and manning the Salvation Army donation stand. I smiled at her, but she just kind of stared at me... I bought what I needed, came back out, and donated some money that I'd had left over. Her demeanor was COMPLETELY different. She smiled brightly and said,"Merry Christmas and God bless." It was so awesome.

And I remember one year having a REALLY bad day. I was shopping for a prom dress but just... I don't even remember what was wrong. I stepped closer to DEB and was stopped by a man. He just smiled and said, "You have a REALLY great day." and walked away. Even words can be impacting. It was so nice.

Being a Catholic, I've never read Ensign. So it was great that this was posted here. It was a great story about the true meaning of Christmas, but it hits home even now, in the last days before the Easter season.